Download Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No

Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No.4, 1st mvt.
The first (and closing) ritornello (b.1-83 & 345-427)
Melodic Structure
The opening ritornello of a late baroque concerto grosso such as this contains all of the
melodic material for the rest of the movement.
Bach’s melodic lines are constructed from a number of small cells – short patterns of
notes with a distinctive profile.

Identify the basic melodic shapes on the first page of the score:-
Bar
Instrument(s)
Characteristics
1
Fl 2
Rising and falling arpeggio in even semiquavers

Bar
Identify any new cells between b.20 and 83
Instrument(s)
Fill in the following table:Bars
1-6
7-12
13-22
23-34
35-42
43-56
57-62
63-68
69-78
79-83
Cell(s)
Characteristics
HWK: Comment on the ways in which Bach builds his first ritornello from a few
melodic cells.
Cells
A
F2
B/Bi F1/2
triad as semiquaver arpeggio, up and down
three notes by step, down then up; straight quavers (B) or 2
semiquavers and a quaver (Bi)
V/F2 b13
semiquaver scale, rising
V/rpV b14
descending arpeggio in semiquavers, with repeated notes
F1/2 b35-8 longer melodic cell built from elements of B and C
C
D
E
b1
b3-4
Uses of the cells


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Cells A and B together are used to punctuate the ritornello, bringing the music
back to its first idea, e.g in bars 23-35 and 57-68
Cell B forms part of E and is the building block for the flute parts in bars 44—6
and 69-74
Cell C forms part of cell E (b.38 – descending) and is an integral element in the
passage between bars 47 and52
Cell D takes on a life of its own and is used at all levels of the music, including
the bass to form chains of descending arpeggios, e.g. bars 53-57
Cell E is really a composite of other elements, but has an identifiable role in the
middle of the ritornello between bars 35 and 44, when it is linked to a version
of cell Bi (see above)